Swimming ($100,000 a year)
A swimmer’s uniform (either the high-tech Speedo LZR swimsuit or Speedo Fastskin3), can cost from $400 to $550 (for an average of six wears), and goggles can cost around $100, but it’s only a fraction of what Olympic swimmers spend. Swimmers at the Baltimore aquatic club where Michael Phelps has trained pay between $1,500 and $3,000 a year in membership fees. When they’re not in the pool they are either working out at $30 to $50 a session or traveling to swim meets at about $5,000 per trip. Twelve-time Olympic medalist Dara Torres spends around $100,000 a year for her training, according to The New York Times.
